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Effectiveness of structured Om chanting and listening program on

psychological parameters in pre-hypertensive women

Article in National Journal of Physiology Pharmacy and Pharmacology · January 2021

DOI: 10.5455/njppp.2021.11.04117202110052021

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 National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology

RESEARCH ARTICLE
Effectiveness of structured “Om” chanting and listening program on
psychological parameters in pre-hypertensive women

Naveen Aalasyam1, Sai Sailesh Kumar Goothy2, Mukkadan J K3

Department of Pharmacology, Mamata Medical College, Khammam, Telangana, India, 2Department of Physiology, R D Gardi Medical
1

College, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh, India, 3Little Flower Medical Research Center, Angamaly, Kerala, India
Correspondence to: Sai Sailesh Kumar Goothy, E-mail: [email protected]

Received: April 16, 2021; Accepted: May 10, 2021

ABSTRACT

Background: Om chanting was reported to lower blood pressure acting through parasympathetic system. It was hypothesized
that listening to Om along with chanting may have additional benefits. Aims and Objectives: The study was designed
to observe the effectiveness of Om chanting and listening on depression, anxiety, and stress in pre-hypertensive women.
Materials and Methods: The present study is an experimental study. Eighty cases of newly diagnosed pre-hypertensive
women between the age of 25 and 40 years were included in the study after obtaining written informed consent. They were
randomly assigned to waitlist and Om chanting groups with 40 participants in each group. After recording the baseline
values, corresponding intervention will be given to the participants of intervention groups for a period of 3 months.
Results: There was a significant decrease in the depression, anxiety, and stress scores in the intervention group when
compared with the waitlist group. Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in the depression, anxiety, and stress
scores followed by the practice of Om chanting. The study recommends further detailed studies in this area to recommend
the potential role of Om chanting in clinical practice.

KEY WORDS: Psychological Parameters; Depression; Om Chanting; Stress

INTRODUCTION as 32% in urban population of India.[4,5] Significant decrease

in sleep quality and cognition and significant increase in the
The Seventh Report of the Joint National Committee (JNC- stress levels were observed in pre-hypertensive women in
7) on prevention, detection, evaluation, and treatment of our earlier studies.[6] Studies recommended implementing
high blood pressure (BP) JNC-7 defines prehypertension the alternative therapy and lifestyle modifications in the
when the systolic BP of 120–139 mmHg or diastolic BP of management of prehypertension.[7]
80–89 mmHg.[1,2] As the individuals with prehypertension
are at risk of developing hypertension, it was suggested to Om is the central element in Krishna’s exposition of spiritual
diagnose at the earliest and offer the effective management life and practice, speaking from his perspective as the
strategies.[3] The prevalence of prehypertension was reported infinite being, enumerating his major manifestations and
embodiments. The meaning is that Om is nothing less than
Access this article online the supreme consciousness.[5] The use of “Om” chanting for
Website: www.njppp.com Quick Response code meditation is well known.[8] Functional magnetic resonance
imaging (MRI) studies reported significant inhibition of
amygdala, parahippocampal, and hippocampal brain regions.
DOI: 10.5455/njppp.2021.11.04117202110052021 This leads to relaxation and eventually sleeps.[9] According
to Patanjali yoga sutras, chanting or listening to Om causes
calm and peaceful mind.[8] Om chanting was reported as a

National Journal of Physiology, Pharmacy and Pharmacology Online 2021. © 2021 Sai Sailesh Kumar Goothy, et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creative commons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), allowing third parties to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or
format and to remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially, provided the original work is properly cited and states its license.

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Aalasyam et al. Effect of structured “Om” chanting on psychological parameters

beneficial exhalation exercise according to Upanishads not suffering from any other disease, under no medication,
Chanting mantras have been used for the management of and not practicing any stress management techniques were
stress, depression, and addictions.[10] Deep breathing during included in the study.
chanting and tapping of the tongue to certain points in the
roof of the mouth causes release of the endorphins which
Exclusion Criteria
causes relaxation and increase positive energy.[11] Practicing
Om chanting in daily life summates the positive energies Pregnancy or postpartum <3 months and body mass
which activate the five chakras inside us.[12] Functional index >40 kg/m², smokers and alcoholics, and unwilling
neuroimaging studies reported that Om listening was participants were excluded from the study.
reported to activate the cortical areas related to cognition
and cerebellum.[13] Om chanting was reported to lower BP All the participants were selected from the same locality
acting through parasympathetic system. It was hypothesized to minimize the effects of cultural status such as lifestyle
that listening to Om along with chanting may have additional and eating habits. The selected participants were
benefits. Hence, the study was designed to observe the randomly assigned to two groups using randomizer.org
effectiveness of Om chanting and listening on depression, software.
anxiety, and stress in pre-hypertensive women.
Group I
MATERIALS AND METHODS Waitlist group (n = 40): Pre-hypertensive women those
neither trained nor practiced structured Om chanting and
Study Design listening during the study period.
The present study is an experimental study. After recording the Group II
baseline values, corresponding intervention will be given to
the participants of intervention groups for a period of 3 months. Om chanting group (n = 40): Pre-hypertensive women those
trained and practiced structured Om chanting and listening
for 3 months
Study Setting
The study was conducted at the Department of Physiology, Structured Om Chanting and Listening
Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre, Angamaly,
Kerala, in collaboration with division of Yoga and Physical The participants were trained by yoga teacher from
Sciences, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana for
Samsthana, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. a week days. After 1 week, they practiced. The duration
of one session of structured Om chanting and listening
is for 17 min. The total duration of intervention was
Power Analysis and Sample Size Estimation
3 months, once a day for 5 days in a week. The practice
The study was powered at 0.90, considering the intragroup of Om listening and chanting was specifically done at
variation of 20–25%. The required sample size in each group the meditation room. All the participants were instructed
is 40. Sigmaplot 13.0 (Systat Software, USA) was used to to assemble in the meditation room at 6:30 am every day.
calculate the sample size. The Om chanting and listening was practiced using Om
chanting box designed by Vivekananda Yoga University,
Bengaluru. The box is manually operated for the specific
Participants
time as mentioned below. The structured Om chanting and
Eighty cases of newly diagnosed pre-hypertensive women listening program was also designed by Vivekananda Yoga
between the age of 25 and 40 years were included in the study University, Bengaluru [Table 1].
after obtaining written informed consent. The participants
recruited from the outpatient department of General Medicine
Assessment of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress
of Little Flower Hospital and Research Centre, Angamaly.
All the participants were right handed. All the participants Stress levels were assessed using depression, anxiety, and
were advised to continue their routine habits and diet stress scale 21.[14]
throughout the study. The following criteria were followed
while selecting the cases. Ethical Approval
The study protocol was approved by the institutional human
Inclusion Criteria
ethics committee. The study followed all the guidelines
Female participants who were newly diagnosed with a systolic issued by ICMR. Informed consent was obtained from all the
BP of 120–139 mmHg or a diastolic BP of 80–89 mmHg, participants before the study.

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Aalasyam et al. Effect of structured “Om” chanting on psychological parameters

Statistical Analysis in long-term basis. Chanting mantras has been found

to be very effective. Lord Shiva was well known to his
Data were analyzed using software SPSS 20.0. Student’s
meditation and chanting and he is called as “Aadi yogi.”
t-test was applied to observe the significance of difference.
Om is considered as sacred in Hinduism and chanting Om is
P < 0.05 is considered as significant.
proved to activate brain areas scientifically.[8] Chanting Om
balances the autonomic nervous system and regulates the
RESULTS vital parameters and brings the individual to relaxed mental
state.[15] There is significant evidence reported a reduction in
The depression scores are not significantly different the heart rate followed by regular practice of Om chanting.[16]
between the waitlist group and Om chanting group before Meditation and chanting regulates autonomic activities and
the intervention (P = 0.3263). The anxiety scores are not balances the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.[17] Om
significantly different between the waitlist group and Om chanting causes psychophysiological reactions and causes
chanting group before the intervention (P = 0.1613). The stress relaxation effect.[18] MRI studies reported that there was
scores are not significantly different between the waitlist group decrease in the activity of the brain areas such as limbic
and Om chanting group before the intervention (P = 0.4205) brain regions, amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal
[Table 2]. There was a significant decrease in the depression gyrus, insula, orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortices,
scores in the intervention group when compared with the and thalamus followed by the Om chanting. Further, the
waitlist group (P = 0.0001*). There was a significant decrease impulses are transmitted through the vagus nerve which
in the anxiety scores in the intervention group when compared causes neurohemodynamic changes.[19] Interestingly, Om
with the waitlist group (P = 0.0001*). There was a significant chanting was reported to activate the brain areas related with
decrease in the stress scores in the intervention group when relaxation.[20]
compared with the waitlist group (P = 0.0001*) [Table 3].

CONCLUSION
DISCUSSION
There was a significant decrease in the depression, anxiety,
India has rich traditional things that help to keep protecting and stress scores followed by the practice of Om chanting.
people from various diseases provided followed or practiced The study recommends further detailed studies in this area
to recommend the potential role of Om chanting in clinical
Table 1: Protocol of structured Om chanting and listening practice.
program
Steps Duration Activity REFERENCES
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